Vanity case having a member for automatically wiping clean the mirror containee in the case



April 17, 1951 J. SIEGALAL VANITY CASE HAVING A MEMBER FOR"AUTOMATICALLY WIPING CLEAN THE MIRROR CONTAINED IN THE CASE Filed Nov, 5, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

. JACK $/EGAL O L 3 W A a/way April 17, 1951 J. SIEGAL VANITY CASE HAVING A MEMBER FOR AUT CLEAN THE MIRROR CONTAINED IN THE CASE w 2 m. 9 h 4 wG w 9 .P e I h w S 2 JV... 4 L A C I m 0.

Filed Nov. 5, 1946 INVENTOR. -JA CK S/EGAL A 7' TORNE V Patented Apr. 17, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT F F I C E VANITY CASE HAVING A MEMBER FOR AUTOMATICALLY WIPING CLEAN THE MIRROR CONTAINED IN THE CASE 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to vanity cases andmore particularly to such cases which are provided with a mirror and a means to automatically clean the mirror upon opening the vanity case.

Vanity cases are designed to contain either loose powder or powder in cake form as well as other make-up which is applied to the face of the user. As a matter of convenience inorder to assist in the application of this make-up, such vanity cases are provided with a mirror on the inside thereof.

Due to the powder becoming smeared on the mirror, which thereby becomes cloudy, before the application of the make-up, it is always necessary for the user to wipe it clean so that the image of the user may be readily seen. Such wiping operation has always been inconvenient, disconcerting and a source of annoyance.

The present invention therefore contemplates the provision of a wiping member which will automatically be wiped across the surface of the mirror u-pon opening the vanity case, which operation serves to polish it. The present invention contemplates the provision of a mechanism by means of which the wiping member is moved over the surface of the mirror by a positive action and which mechanism includes a train of gears operatively connecting the wiping member to a section of the vanity case.

The present invention still further contemplates a vanity case having a mirror wiping member, which may be opened by a mechanism which operates the gear connecting mechanism.

The present invention still further contemplates the provision of a vanity case having a mirror and a wiping member movably thereacross in which the wiping member is locked in place upon closing the vanity case.

These, other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be clear from the description which follows and the drawings appended thereto, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of an opened vanity case according to my invention, the position of the wiping member when the case is closed being shown in broken lines 1 Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. the mirror containing compartment or section in incomplete open position being illustrated in broken lines Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is a partial side View of a modified form of my invention Fig. 6 is a plan view of the mirror containing compartment or section of a modification of my invention, the position of the wiping member when the case is closed being shown in broken lines Fig. '7 is a perspective plan view of a modification of a vanity case according to my invention Fig. 8 is a plan view thereof, the case bein in open position Fig. 9 is a section on the line 99 of Fig. 8

Fig. 10 is a section on the line l0l0 of Fig. 8.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, a vanity case according to my invention is provided with the mirror containing section ID on the inside of which the mirror I2 is mounted in any conventional manner and the powder containing section M.

The sections In and I4 are connected together by means of the conventional hinges l5 and I8 so that the mirror section II! may be swung, as desired, into open or closed position.

Connected to the upper plate 20 by means of the hinges -22 and 24, I provide the closure 26, which closes off the powder compartment 28 in the section 14.

Extending upward from the compartment 30 through the slot 32 in the upper plate 20, I provide the stationary preferably semi-circular upright gear 34, the blank edge of which is secured to the vertical back wall 36 of the compartment As will be seen, this gear 34 is part of the gear train by means of which the wiping member 38 is moved across the surface of the morror l2 when the upper, or mirror section I0 is swung into open and closed position on the hinges l6 and I8.

Journaled in the bearing 39 on the bottom wall 40 of the compartment 42, underneath the mirror I2, through which it extends into the bearing 43 on the mirror [2 in which hearing it is also journaled, I provide the shaft 44, to which shaft at the upper end thereof above the mirror l2, the wiping member 38 is secured.

Arranged in the compartment 42 underneath the mirror l2 I mount the gear 46, which gear is rotatable on the shaft 44.

The teeth of the gear 48 mesh with the teeth of the gear 48, which gear 48 extends through the slot 50 in the mirror 12 into engagement with the teeth of the gear 46. The gear 48 is journaled for rotation in the bearing 52 secured to the side wall 54 of the slot 58.

Extending down from the underside of the gear '48, I provide the arm 55 which extends to the exterior of the vanity case through the semicircular slot 58 in the bottom wall 40.

Thus, the arm 56 may be reciprocated in the slot 58 from left to right and return, Fig. 4, to cause the gear 46 to which it is secured to rotate with the shaft 44; when the vanity case is closed, the gear 48 has been positioned at the bottom of the gear 34, as viewed in Fig. 2, with the section It positioned on .top of section l4.

As the gear 46 is rotated on the shaft 44 by means of the arm 58, the gear 48 and the shaft 60 to which it is keyed are rotated in the journal 52 thus causing thegear 48 to ride upward on the stationary gear '34 from the lower part thereof to the upper part thereof, as viewed in Fig. 2. This operation causes the section I9, which is connected to the gear 48 at the side wall 54, and thus carried by the gear 48 and the bearing 52, to swing into open position on the hinges I6 and I8 until the gear 48 is disengaged from the gear 34 at which time the user of the vanity case manually swings the section In into completely open position or any intermediate position.

It will of course be understood that the arm 56 and slot 58, if desired, may be omitted, the vanity case being then manually opened in the conventional manner, the gear 48 rotated on the gear 34 and in turn causing the gear 46 and shaft 44 to rotate.

Rotation of the gear 46 through the gears 48 and 34, upon manually opening the vanity case, should it be desired to omit the arm 56 or by means of movement of the arm 56 from the left end of slot 58 to the right end thereof, as viewed in Fig. 4, causes movement of the wiping member 38 about the shaft 44 as a pivot from the bottom position, illustrated in broken lines, to the top position, illustrated in full lines, as viewed in Fig. 1.

This movement of the wiping member 38 across the surface of the mirror I2 serves to clean off whatever powder or dirt may be clinging thereto, it being understood that the bottom of the wiping member 38 is provided with a suitable cleaning material, for example, felt.

It will of course be understood, that if an arm 56 and slot 58 are used, the parts are so relatively dimensioned that the gear 48 will become disengaged from the gear 34 upon the arm 56 reaching the right end of the slot 58, as viewed in Fig. 4, and will be positioned at the lower extremity of gear 34, upon the arm 66 reaching the left end of the slot 58, as viewed in Fig. 4.

When the vanity case is to be closed, the section I8 is swung back about the hinges I6 and I8 until the gear 48 engages the gear 34, when it is made to ride thereon to its lowermost position through movement of the arm 56, which rotates gear 46 and brings the wiping arm 38 back to the position illustrated by the broken lines of Fig. 1.

In the construction in which the arm 56 is omitted, as the section I I] is lowered onto the section I4, the gear 34 causes the gear 48 to retate about the shaft 68 and correspondingly the gear 46 about the shaft 44 to return the wiping member 38 into position when the vanity case is closed.

In order to guide the wiping movement of the member 38, I provide across the surface of the mirror I2, the rail element 62, the depending wall 63 of which fits into the compartment 42, under which the outer end of the wiping mem ber 38 moves.

If desired, this rail member may be omitted, in which event, the wiping member 64 (see Fig. 6) may be made of a resilient material, such as spring steel, which is so bent and formed that the member 64 is always tensioned against the surface of the mirror I2.

If desired, referring to Fig. 5, a backing catch 66 may be provided at the end of the locking member 61, on the wall 69 of the section II), which is brought home in the slot 68 in the wall I of the section I4 when the section ID is swung thereon to close the case.

Referring now to Figs. '7 to inclusive, I have there disclosed a modification of my invention in which the vanity case comprises the semicircular sections I2 and I4, which are hingedly secured together by the hinges I6 and I8.

The powder compartment in the section I4 is provided with cover 82 hingedly mounted on the wall 84 by hinges 36 and 88 and may have the catch 89 for opening the powder compartment.

The section I4 at the center 9| thereof is cut away to permit the gears of the gear train to be mounted therein, as is the section I2 at the center 93 thereof.

Secured to stationary post 98, which is connected at each end of the wall by means of the union connection 91 and 99 and extends across the openings 9| and 93 at the center of the vanity case, I provide the semi-circular stationary gear 92 which meshes with the gear 94 supported for rotation above the mirror 96 in the section I2 by means of the bearing IBI fixed therein.

Keyed to the shaft 98, which shaft is journaled in the wall and the washer I02 above the mirror 96, I provide the bevel gear I94 which meshes with the gear 94.

Secured to the shaft 96 beneath the gear I94, I provide the wiping element I06, which as will be seen, is moved from the bottom to the top of Fig. 8 across the surface of the mirror 96, against which it is tensioned, upon opening the vanity case to thereby clean the mirror.

A guide element I98 is secured on the face of the mirror 96 under which the outer end of the wiping element I66 is moved to thus prevent loosening of the wiping element.

When the section I2 is held against the section I4 to close the vanity case, the gear 94 is positioned at the extreme lower left end (Fig. 10) of the gear 92 and the wiping element at the extreme lower part of its stroke at III] (Fig. 8).

Upon opening the vanity case by swinging the section I2 into open position on the hinges I6 and I8, the gear 94 rides on the gear 92 to the extreme lower right position, as illustrated in Fig. 10, rotating the bevel gear I04 on the shaft 98 and thus moving the wiping element I06 across the surface of the mirror 96 to the extreme upper position at II2 (Fig. 8), thus cleaning off the mirror.

Upon ciosing the vanity case and bringing the section I2 on the section I4, the reverse operation is performed to bring the wiping element I 06 back to normal closed position.

In order to cover the central openings 9| and 93 and the gears of the gear train and particularly gear 92 upon closing the vanity case, I provide the telescopic dome I I6, which comprises the inner semi-spherical wall I I8, secured to the wall I26 of the section I4, the outer semi-spherical wall I22, secured to the wall I08 of the section I2 and the intermediate semi-spherical wall I24, which latter is slidable between the walls I I8 and I22.

Upon closing the vanity case, the walls I I 8, I22 and I24 slide relatively to one another to thus extend the telescopic dome II6 into the size and shape illustrated in Fig. 7 and upon opening the vanity case they slide relatively to one another to foreshorten the dome into the size and position illustrated in Fig. 10.

To put it another way, the outer telescopic walls I I8 and I22, slide on the inner telescope wall I24, which latter retains the relative position assumed by it in Fig. 10, so that the closed case and dome II6 members, upon closing, assume the position illustrated in Fig. 7.

This operation occurs because the wall I22 is secured to the section wall I00 and the wall H8 is secured to the section wall I so that when the sections of the case are closed, these semispherical Walls must move on the intermediate wall I24 into the closed dome-like form illustrated.

In order to accomplish this action, I provide at the extreme left end of the wall I22, as viewed in Fig. 10, the catch I26, and at the other right end of the intermediate wall I24, as viewed in Fig. 10, the corresponding groove I28. Upon closing the vanity case, the outer wall I22 slides on the intermediate wall I24, the catch I26 riding thereon, until the catch is brought home in the groove I28, whereupon further movement of the section I2 causes the intermediate wall I24 to be carried by the outer wall I22 into ultimate dome extended position.

Upon opening the case, the reverse operation takes place to telescopically foreshorten the dome H6. r I

It will now be apparentthat I have provided a vanity case having a mirror which is automatically wiped'clean by a positive gear mechanism connection upon opening the vanity case for I USS.

positioned at right angles to the mirror, said wiping member secured to said shaft and movable across the face of the mirror upon rotation of the shaft, and a gear train comprising a gear secured to said shaft, a stationary gear anda third gear connecting the stationary gear with the gear on the shaft and mounted in the mirror section tomove across the stationary gear upon swinging the mirror section on the hinges relative tothe other section to open and close the vanity case, the axes of the stationary gear and third gear being'parallel to each other and at right angles to thesa'id shaft.

2. In a vanity case, a powder section, a mirror section, hinge means connecting the said sections together whereby the mirror section may be swung away from and on the powder section to open and close the vanity case, said powder section having a slot, a stationary gear secured to thepowder section and extending through the slot, a mirror in the mirror section and having a slot, a movable gear mounted on the mirror section and rotatable in the slot, a

rotatable gear in the mirror section meshing with the movable gear, and a wiping member movable across the surface of the mirror and operatively connected to the rotatable gear, said movable gear moving across the face of the stationary gear disengageable therefrom upon opening the vanity case and engaging the stationary gear and moving across the face thereof upon closing the vanity case.

3. In a vanity case, a first section, a second section, hinge means connecting the sections together whereby one section may be swung away from and on the other section to open and close the vanitycase, one of said sections having a slot, a gear rotatable in said last named section, a member-connected to said gear and extending through the slot and movable therein to cause rotation of said gear, a second gear meshing with the first gear and mounted in said last mentioned section, and a stationary gear in the other section normally meshing with the second gear when the case is closed and disengageable therefrom when the case is open.

4. In a vanity case, a first section, a second section, hinge means connecting the sections together whereby one section may be swung away from and on the other section to open and close the vanity case, one of said sections having a slot, a gear rotatable in said last named section, a member connected to said gear and extending through the slot and movable therein to cause rotating of said gear, 'a second gear meshing with the first gear and mounted in said last mentioned section, and a stationary gear in the other section, said second gear movable across the face of the' stationary gear by rotation of the first gear upon movement of the member in said slot. 1 a 5. In a vanity case, a first section having an opening at the center thereof, a second section having an opening at the center thereof in alignment with the opening of the first section, a mirrorin one of the sections, a gear train in the openings, a wiping member in the section containing the mirror connected to the gear'train,

hinge means connecting the sections together and a telescopic dome on the sections and covering. the opening, said gear train operable to i move the wiping member in the said section upon swinging one of the sections relative to the other section on the hinge means to open and close the vanity case, said dome arranged in collapsed condition upon opening the vanity case and arranged in telescoped condition upon closing the vanity caseto keep covered the opening mounted for rotation on the mirror holding section and meshing with the bevel gear and a third gear secured to the vanity case between the two sections and meshing with the second gear.

8. The vanity case of claim 1 and including locking means on the hinge sections for locking the sections together in closed position.

JACK SIEGAL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,084,292 Steiner June 15, 1937 2,106,254 Newell Jan. 25, 1938 2,145,035 1 Williamson Jan. 24, 1939 Williamson Aug. 1, 1939 

